Bad Axe still looking for a new fire chief

STACY LANGLEY

Published
7:00 pm EST, Monday, January 27, 2003

The board met recently for the interview portion of the process.

According to Mark Wehner, chairman of the Bad Axe Area Fire Protection Association, the board is still in contract negotiations and went into a closed session to discuss details of the matter last week.

Tom Dibble, secretary for the association, said that no decision on any candidate has been made yet.

"We've received about five or six applications," said Dibble. "We've been able to narrow it down to four based on qualifications and experience needed for the job."

Dibble said that the board was "surprisingly amazed" at the number of qualified individuals who applied for the job.

Right now, Assistant Bad Axe Area Chief Dave Peruski is filling in since the Jan. 1 retirement of Dave Rapson. Dibble said that Peruski agreed to fill in as chief for 90 days until the job can be filled.

"Our intention is to get the most qualified person for the job in place as soon as we can," said Dibble. "This is a new process for us, so we're trying to work the bugs out as we go through this."

Rapson was chief for as long as the the Bad Axe Area Fire Protection Association has been in place.

The next meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the fire hall.

The board is expected to discuss the four candidates: Dave Peruski of Bad Axe, currently assistant chief; Todd Hillman, fire chief in Sandusky; Burton Eichler of Pigeon; and Robert Howard, who is originally from Harbor Beach but now resides in Ann Arbor.